Supervisor Training Pays

Updated on August 2, 2012

Trained Leadership adds Value to Medical Practices

By Anita Gavett

In addition to allowing physician practices to focus on patient care and growing their business, the investment in effective supervisory training will help keep your practice compliant healthy and prevent potentially costly litigation in the future.  Ensuring that your practice leadership team is well trained in human resources compliance and effective with HR systems is paramount in protecting your organization and improving productivity of your greatest asset, your employees.

Employees recently promoted to supervisory roles are ideal candidates for HR training.  The skills that made the employee successful in their role as an individual contributor may not apply in the new supervisory position.  In addition to learning fundamental supervisory skills and management concepts such as planning, organizing, and employee motivation, supervisors should be well versed in tasks that involve complying with local and federal regulations such as with interviewing, hiring, and terminating employees as well as in managing and effectively documenting their team’s performance.  Successful supervisors should have the know how to handle difficult and complex situations associated with their role.

What are the Benefits of Supervisor HR Training?

Trained supervisory staff will help to ensure that your practice is compliant with human resources laws and regulations.  Consequently, untrained supervisory staff can lead to noncompliant actions and potential claims that can cost your medical practice time and money.

Ensuring that your supervisors are well trained will help them be in the best possible managerial shape and ready to lead their teams. Effective supervisory training can lead to improved employee morale and communication (both supervisory and subordinate), protection (against legal actions, disputes, or litigation), and effective and updated leadership skills and education of your supervisory teams will affect your bottom line in a positive way.  Training will also provide your supervisors with opportunity for growth in their positions which will help an organization with succession planning goals.

When organizations improve the performance and skills of supervisors they are improving the performance of everyone in the organization.  Supervisors with proper training will be able to direct and lead the staff more effectively helping to increase efficiency, leveraging employee performance,  and help keep your practice compliant.

What are the Risks of Untrained Supervisors?

The financial impact of improperly managing employee relations or staffing issues can be immense.  Retaliation claims are one of the most common discrimination claims and are on the rise. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) intake, relief obtained and charges resolved hit record highs in 2011, according to the Department of Labor. In addition, responding to even one wrongful discharge claim can cost your practice thousands of dollars in attorney fees and your staff’s time.  If the charge or complaint ends up going to trial, even if you win the case, it will cost your practice several thousand dollars.  If you lose, you could be looking at several hundred thousand dollars in settlements, compensatory damages for pain and suffering, punitive damages, attorney fees, and back pay and benefits. Not to mention loss of productivity to the organization and negative publicity to your practice.

Schedule your Supervisor Training Today

There are a variety of supervisor training options such as seminars, on-line classes, and consulting services that can customize training for your organization.  Many local community colleges offer low-cost supervisory courses or workshops.  When selecting training topics, look for training and seminars that include:

  • Hiring and employee selection
  • Terminating employees
  • Documenting discipline and performance issues
  • Performance management
  • Managing problem employees
  • Wage and Hour Laws
  • Controlling the risk of employment-related lawsuits
  • Understanding employee leaves
  • Overall HR compliance

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Virtual OfficeWare enhances organization’s clinical, financial and administrative systems.  Virtual OfficeWare is a one source IT vendor and provider of human resources consulting services including: Talent acquisition (temporary and direct hire placements) as well as HR project management, support and training services.  Our goal is to aid in the delivery of quality outcomes and leverage business performance.  Through the utilization of effective technology and HR Consulting Services, we contribute to the overall success of physicians and other organizations and in turn help them to provide exceptional care and service to the communities they serve. 

Anita M. Gavett, PHR, is Lead Consultant with Virtual OfficeWare. She has over 15 years experience as a human resources generalist and leader in a variety of industries including HR consulting services, health care, construction and manufacturing, wholesale distribution, insurance, retail and communications. For more information, visit www.virtualofficeware.net/hr-consulting-services.


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